It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to an end, but the kids will be back in school soon, if not already. It’s time to evaluate their clothes to get ready for the new school year.

August is the second-largest sales month for clothing retailers. They know you will be buying clothing for your kids to go back to school. Sales are going on now and we have a tax free week for clothing in Maryland through Saturday.

Clothing

Have your child help you as you go through their clothes because you’ll need him/her to try on things to see if they still fit. Kids grow like weeds so you’ll need to have them present for the process.

Take out everything that no longer fits. If clothing needs repairs, make a quick decision on whether or not it’s worth it. Then move on without losing your momentum.

If some clothing fits your child, but they don’t like the particular item, let it go because they will never want to wear it. It’s not worth the fight.

As you go through the clothing, start a list of what you will need to buy. Take into consideration how often you do laundry to help figure out the number of socks and underwear your child will need to make it through the school year or at least the fall portion of the school year.

A good rule of thumb is to have two outfits per day so if you do laundry once a week that comes to a minimum of 14 outfits. That is true if your child changes from school to play clothes. If they wear the same clothing to play and go to school, that will lower the number of outfits needed.

If space is an issue in your child’s room, be mindful of the volume of clothes and accessories. The rule of “less is more” is definitely applicable in your child’s room. The less there is to fold and put away, the easier daily life will be.

Shoes

Your child will need at least a pair of shoes for play, dress and bad weather (like snow boots). Most kids have more than one pair of tennis shoes. They may also need shoes for sports like football cleats, ice skates or other specialty footwear.

Repeat the process for each of your children. If organizing your kids’ clothing and/or rooms is too much for you, contact me for help.